I think they're just missing the point.

[thebitterguy]

I'm a bit, as you probably know, of a comics fan. I like the graphic novels. I'm semi-regular at at least 3 shops, none of which is very convenient to me. Milton is a crap-tastique place to be a comics fan, as the local shop has a strange air of "please do not disturb us with your commerce". The local store seems to have occasional comics (and an attitude that being open after 5:00 on Wednesdays happens to other people).

To be honest, I don't know what their income streams are. It can't be comics, the toys seem to have taken up permanent residence, and everytime I go in I can never find anyone to assist me by telling me if, oh, they'll be having the new HeroClix expansion, or if they have any SW CMG figs in stock. It's probably just a tax writeoff for Tiger Jeet Singh.

So, I visit a few out of town shops, a couple in Miss (one that has my pull pile) and Dragon Lady in TO (a great store that has the benefit of being close to my Thursday game). Like everyone else, I'm finding that trades are a good way to go.

But there's one thing I just don't like. It's the new Essentials and Showcase TPBs from Marvel & DC. What they're doing is they're, essentially, printing their own versions of the Cerebrus phone books, big black and white compilations of extended comic book stories. The problem? Cerebrus was originally in B&W, while their books are originally colour. B&W is a fine medium all on its own, but taking colour out of something is just as bad as putting it into something where it didn’t belong.

I mean, sure, you get to enjoy the narrative and the art, but the superhero genre tends to be a colour intensive one. Stripping that out, well, it just upsets me. I mean. black and white Metamorpho? Sure, he's the most abused character in DC (no Heroclix fig? WTF?) but his entire shtick is he's four different colours. Not white, black, grey & grey. Can you imagine a story set in Arcade's Murderworld in B&W? Just wrong, except for the rooms that were just black and white squares. That would work. Alpha Flight in B&W? Ich. Hell, imagine silver age Batman stories in B&W. The modern stuff, that would work, but back in the day they used colour.

Hell, anyone who puts Kirby in B&W deserves twenty lashes.

Comments

[zatara2000.livejournal.com]

I believe the purpose of printing these books in black and white and on newsprint is to have these stories available to the average reader who can't afford a $75+ archives/masterworks edition. I, personally, appreciate these books a lot - I mean Jonah Hex? Spiderwoman? Silver age Superman? At the prices they are charging for them its a great value.

[thebitterguy]

There should be a midpoint, a way to give people these stories as they were created and published without charging an arm and a leg.

Hell, a digital version would at least include the entire book.

Black and white copies of colour comics is like a prose book with all the punctuation taken out. It's an important part of the language of the medium taken away.

[mercuryeric.livejournal.com]

I've sold several copies of Metamorpho, Superman and Green Lantern to 8-9 yr. old kids, who otherwise wouldn't have picked them up. So, exposing younger readers to Gardner Fox, Wayne Boring, Jack Kirby, et al, at a pricepoint that makes them think they've hit the motherload is somehow bad?

[thebitterguy]

Hey, I think it's great the kids get to read the classics. It's just unfortunate they'll have to get the diluted versions.

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

On the other hand... some of the colour really sucked.

[xiombarg.livejournal.com]

I have found that a lot of comic shops have the problem where it seems like they don't want business. They usually survive on a group of hardcore customers who have a huge number of regular pulls, which are never seen on the shelves. These customers usually know when to come in and catch the owner, despite his erratic schedule. Many game shops work the same way, really.

As far as the B&W issue... It's cost. If color printing becomes cheaper, you'll see that stuff in color, but until then, it's reserved for more "recent" graphic novels. There also the issue of what format those old comics are stored in...

[princeofcairo.livejournal.com]

I buy the Essential TOMB OF DRACULA and WEREWOLF BY NIGHT collections, because those actually look pretty good in b & w. But not superheroes, goodness no. Can't have "four color" without color.

[thebitterguy]

Can't have "four color" without color.

That's it right there. Thank you.

[redeem147.livejournal.com]

I just noticed one of those the other day. Assumed it was a reprint of British issues. Guess not.

So, they make superheroes more accessible by printing in B&W, and Bone more accessible by printing in colour?